Leslie Barbara Knope (/ˈnoʊp/ NOHP) is a fictional character portrayed by Amy Poehler and the main protagonist of the NBC sitcom Parks and Recreation.
[3] Knope proudly displays in her office images of Hillary Clinton, Sandra Day O'Connor, Joe Biden, Madeleine Albright, Condoleezza Rice, Dianne Feinstein, Janet Reno, Nancy Pelosi, and Larry Bird.
On November 10, 2016, a member of the Parks and Recreation writing staff wrote an open letter for Vox from the fictional character Leslie Knope on the election results.
[7] She has been widely lauded as a positive figure for advancing gender equality and feminism because she represents a strong woman who encourages others to empower themselves and support the women around them.
[9] Although she is shown to be running for the city council as an independent, she joins the Democratic Party at some point, as she is approached by "Janet from the DNC" about a potential gubernatorial bid in the final season.
At a public forum, she meets Ann Perkins (Rashida Jones), who informs her about a gaping hole near her house that her boyfriend, Andy Dwyer (Chris Pratt), fell into.
She has a difficult relationship with her mother, a tough and tactless woman who has had a long and successful career in local government and who does not think much of her daughter's professional or personal choices.
Dave asks Leslie to move with him to San Diego, and although she considers it, she ultimately declines because she loves her work and Pawnee too much to leave, and they part ways amicably.
At the end of the season, Leslie and the rest of the department get a visit from two state auditors, Ben Wyatt (Adam Scott) and Chris Traeger (Rob Lowe), who shut down the government due to Pawnee's crippling financial problems.
However, their budding relationship is threatened by Chris' inter-office dating rules, and they attempt to keep their romance under wraps, despite telling Ann, Ron, Leslie's mother, and a maintenance worker at the memorial service for Lil' Sebastian, Pawnee's beloved, recently deceased "mini-horse".
They initially arrange to marry at a black-tie event they planned and executed to raise money for the future park at Pawnee Commons.
However, the Parks and Recreation Department plans a secret wedding that same night in the office area, and Ron walks Leslie down the aisle.
During her first year as a city councilor, she passes a city-wide soda tax, merges the animal control and parks department, and secures the money for the Pawnee Commons.
At the end of the season, the Sweetums Corporation, a major manufacturer of sugary snacks and Pawnee's biggest employer, begins a campaign to recall her.
After staging a filibuster which wins the citizens of former Eagleton voting rights, Leslie is recalled and replaced with her Eagletonian counterpart, Ingrid de Forest (Kristen Bell).
Leslie gets the lot and parks for the Pawnee Commons after a heated debate between her and Jamm, in return for five worthless IOU's from Chris (who was soon leaving his post as City Manager).
It is implied that either she or Ben (or both) has been elected President of the United States by 2048 when they are both flanked by the U.S. Secret Service at the funeral of Pawnee Mayor (and Leslie's former Parks employee) Garry Gergich (Jim O'Heir).
The concept for Parks and Recreation did not start to form until series creators Greg Daniels and Michael Schur learned Poehler would be available to play the lead character.
[11] Schur said that the show considered a backstory element for Leslie where she had been elected mayor while a teenager; this story was later used for the Ben Wyatt character.
In 2014, while hosting the ceremony, Poehler won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Television Series Musical or Comedy for her portrayal of Leslie Knope.
[7] Daniel Carlson of The Hollywood Reporter also had praise for Poehler claiming that she "has the comic intelligence to carry a series like this one" and delivers a performance that is "awkward but not alienating" and "eager without being repelling".